This invention relates to lever mechanisms and, more specifically a lever mechanism for clamping printed electronic circuit boards into multi-pin sockets.
Electronic device manufacturers often, for the purposes of flexibility of design and ease of manufacture, produce devices comprising several separate circuit boards that are connected to each other and to the housing of the device via large multi-pin plug systems at their rear end. Connecting these boards to the main device housing and into the plugs can require considerable force, especially if a reliable contact is to be assured. Levers for circuit boards are commonly used by manufacturers, but do not retain the boards firmly in position, and can be jolted open, allowing the boards to work loose.
For example, German utility model No. 7724549 issued on Jan. 19, 1978 to Robert Bosch GmbH discloses a lever-type latch for a circuit board that, on closing, urges a board into contact with a connector, but is only latched in position by being retained on a pin attached to the board.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,583, issued on Jun. 5, 1979 and assigned to the General Electric Company, employs a cam mechanism to urge a circuit board into connection, and a shaft acting as a beam spring to provide a biasing force. Again, this device does not provide any secure latching mechanism.
German patent number 3732892, issued on Apr. 20, 1989 to Festo KG, discloses a latching mechanism that is secured with a screw-type mechanism.
United Kingdom patent application No. 22310726 discloses a circuit board latching mechanism with a retaining hook.
The object of the present invention is to provide a lever mechanism for clamping and retaining a circuit board in its housing.